Detention figures – According to the Israeli Prison Service (IPS), as of 30 September 2014, there were 5,439 Palestinians held as "security prisoners" in Israeli detention facilities including 182 children
. In the case of children this represents decrease of 9 per cent compared with the previous month and an annual decrease of 0.5 per cent compared with 2013. According to the IPS, 46 per cent of Palestinian children and 90 per cent of adults continue to be detained in facilities inside Israel, in violation of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. A further 1,879 Palestinians were held in IPS detention as "criminal prisoners" including 31 children. Criminal offences include entering Israel without a permit, most frequently in pursuit of work. More statistics
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New Military Order relating to audio-visual recording and language of interrogation – Israeli
Military Order 1745 came into effect in September 2014 and provides for the audio-visual recording of police interrogations of minors in “non-security” related offences. The order also stipulates that the interrogations should be conducted and documented in the language of the accused. Due to the limited application of the new order the amendment will have no impact or add any additional protection to minors accused of “security offences” which make up the overwhelming majority of cases. Accordingly, the interrogation of Palestinian minors may still be documented in Hebrew and are not required to be audio-visually recorded in cases involving allegations of stone-throwing or participating in an unauthorised protest. The new order will apply,
inter alia, to traffic offences.
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UK MPs write to the CEO of G4S requesting full disclosure – On 27 October, members of the UK Parliament wrote to the CEO of G4S, Mr. Anthony Almanza, requesting full disclosure of the underlying documents used to prepare a report published on the company’s website purporting to exonerate it of all legal or moral responsibility relating to G4S’s commercial activities in Israel/Palestine. Whilst acknowledging that the company is under no legal obligation to publish these documents, the MPs noted that full disclosure would be consistent with the company’s stated aim of “transparency and accessibility”. This is the second time the company has published extracts from academic reports seeking to absolve itself of all culpability arising out of its commercial activities in the region.
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Stone Cold Justice wins awards - ABC’s Four Corners documentary – Stone Cold Justice – has won in two categories at the annual United Nations Association of Australia’s media awards (UNAA). The awards, which have been described as Australia’s “Oscars” for human rights journalism, were announced in Melbourne on 24 October. Stone Cold Justice won in the categories of best TV Documentary and Increasing Awareness and Understanding of Children’s Rights and Issues. In a statement issued by the event organisers,
Stone Cold Justice was described as follows: “Internationally, attention was drawn to the policy of fear and intimidation used by the Israeli army in targeting Palestinian children.” The film was also shown at the
Glasgow International Documentary Film Festival in October.
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Israel’s High Court chooses occupation over international law - Sitting as the High Court of Justice, Israel’s Supreme Court has heard thousands of petitions submitted on behalf of Palestinians living under military occupation since 1967. This gives rise to an unusual situation whereby the highest civilian court in Israel permits individuals, who could be considered as enemy aliens, to submit petitions challenging the actions of Israel’s military in occupied territory. Some use this as evidence to argue that adequate domestic remedies are available to Palestinians, which in turn creates the impression that no international judicial scrutiny or intervention is warranted. The strength of this argument needs to be assessed with reference to a number of the Court’s decisions.
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Der Spiegel: Kids Behind Bars: Israel’s Arbitrary Arrests of Palestinian Minors - Last year, approximately one thousand Palestinian children were arrested by Israeli forces, often for no reason. Advocates point to systemic abuse, including beatings and forced confessions, but the Israeli military remains steadfast.When the soldiers came to get him, Mahmood says, he wasn't afraid. He crumples a handkerchief in his hand while shaking his head. Maybe a little bit afraid, he mumbles, when the six soldiers pointed their assault weapons at him. Or when they bound his wrists with zip ties, covered his eyes and shoved him on the floor of their four-by-four.
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Haaretz: IDF briefly detains mentally disabled Palestinian boy - Israeli army troops in Hebron detained a mentally disabled Palestinian boy, 11, and held him bound and blindfolded for about 15 minutes on Monday. Only after the boy’s father arrived and convinced the soldiers that the boy had a mental impairment did the soldiers release him. A
video clip filmed by B’Tselem
volunteer Samih Da’ana documented the detention of the Palestinian boy in the Jebel Juhar neighborhood in the Hebron region. According to B’tselem officials, several children in the neighborhood threw stones at soldiers on the main street, but the only one detained was the 11-year-old boy, A., who suffers from mental retardation.
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MCW Progress Report – Children in Military Custody – 2 Years On - In June 2012, a delegation of UK lawyers published the report – Children in Military Custody (UK Report). The Foreign Office funded report reviewed how children are treated in Israel’s military court system taking into account both the legal framework and practice. The report found breaches of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Fourth Geneva Convention and concluded by making 40 specific recommendations. Two years on, MCW has published a report that reviews progress made in implementing the UK Report’s recommendations and finds that just 5 per cent have been substantially implemented.
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